Soeharto noncommittal about his renomination

Soeharto noncommittal about his renomination

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto indicated yesterday his
commitment to the constitution when he was requested to open an
international historian conference in August next year.

The President chose to be noncommittal when senior historian
Taufik Abdullah asked him to open the forthcoming international
conference organized by the Association of Asian Historians here
next year.

"Pak Harto answered my request by saying that it would depend
on the next president," Taufik said after meeting with President
Soeharto at Merdeka Palace.

The President will end his term in March next year. The
People's Consultative Assembly will meet then to elect a
president and vice president and endorse the State Policy
Guidelines.

It has been a foregone conclusion, however, that Soeharto will
be reelected, especially now that the dominant Golkar has
announced its intention to renominate him. Soeharto, however, has
never directly answered those who openly asked for his
renomination.

The 76-year-old President has in the past referred to his old
age, and, more recently, said he refused to become a cult figure.
If reelected, Soeharto will lead the country for the seventh
consecutive term.

In Golkar's ongoing leadership meeting, all chapter leaders
from across the country declared their support for Soeharto's
renomination.

"Golkar has no candidate other than President Soeharto," Fadel
Muhammad, organizing committee chairman of the Golkar leadership
meeting, said in a press conference yesterday.

Chairman Harmoko called on Golkar executives to make
renomination a decree to be forwarded to the People's
Consultative Assembly in its March meeting.

Fadel said yesterday none of the Golkar leaders mentioned vice
presidential candidates. The organization will only name its
candidate in consultation with the elected president in March.

Political observer of the Semarang-based Diponegoro
University, Susilo Utomo, suggested yesterday that Golkar name
its vice presidential candidates when it issues its political
statement Sunday.

"It's public knowledge that Pak Harto will be reelected next
March. What people are curious about is Golkar's candidates for
vice presidency," Susilo said.

He said Golkar should not feel uncomfortable nominating
candidates now, given the Assembly would make the final decision.

He also suggested that Golkar come up with more than one name.

"There are several eligible names, including State Minister of
Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, incumbent vice president
Try Sutrisno, State Minister of National Development Planning
Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung
and Minister of Information R. Hartono," he said.

Democracy

Another Diponegoro University political observer, Soehardjo
S.S., went a step further, suggesting that Golkar name more than
one presidential candidate.

"If Golkar respects democracy, it should have the courage to
declare other names besides Soeharto. Democracy requires
alternatives," he said in Semarang.

In Yogyakarta, political observer Amien Rais of Gadjah Mada
University said he was surprised to hear that Golkar would
nominate Soeharto for the next presidential election.

"I was as shocked as if I heard a thunderbolt," he said.

He said there must be something wrong in the country's
political affairs, as seen by Golkar's renomination of Soeharto,
given that the President had just stated his refusal to be turned
into a cult figure.

Also yesterday, the question of who would replace Harmoko rose
at Golkar's ongoing leadership meeting. The dominant group is
scheduled to hold its five-yearly national congress next year and
to elect new leadership.

Fadel dismissed speculation that Harmoko would soon step down
and that deputy chief Siti Hardiyanti Indra Rukmana would replace
him.

"That's not true. We'll decide this at the national congress
next year," Fadel said. (imn/har/23/prb)